where to stay near TSR

So I'm heading to TSR in July for about 4 days and I'm wondering where I should stay. How close are the hotels to the cable park? The hotels on the TSR website all look to be about 8 miles away when I looked on google maps. Who has actually gone to TSR and stayed in a motel. I don't care how nice the hotel is since I'll only be there for a few hours each night. Any info is much appreciated.
Also, I hear going to Austin for the night life is a 100% must. I'll be flying in on a Thursday and leaving on a Sunday.

I live about 10 minutes from TSR. You can get hotels in either New Braunfels or San Marcus (NB is closer). There are several places on I-35 just minutes S of TSR. Most of the hotels in San Marcus will be about 15 minutes N. Any motel6 etc will be fine, we don't really have any 'bad' spots in this town.

Going to Austin for the night life (6th street) will be about 45-1hr N from TSR.

Thanks Chris, whats the best way to get from NB to Austin to hit up the bars? Is there a bus to take there and back?

There's not a bus that I know off. New Braunfels is probably a 40-50 minute drive from downtown Austin. San Marcos is about a 30-40 minute drive (all depending on traffic). They're both a straight shot down I-35 from Austin. I'd recommend either town. If you're into the college scene San Marcos has "town square" with a bunch of bars, college students, and other twenty somethings. Of course it's nowhere near the Austin scene.

So if I am in NB with no car and I want to get to Austin for the bars at night, the only way to get there is to rent a car I'm guessing? Or an expensive ass taxi ride huh?

Or make friends with someone at TSR

Honestly, I would recommend renting a car for your four day stay. The hotels in NB are not within walking distance of TSR. TSR is right off the highway (no side walks)- and it's on the outskirts of NB, the closest hotel is probably about 5-10 miles away. Search the internet for car rental places- it's usually much cheaper to rent a car online instead of just showing up at a car rental place. I bet you could find a pretty good deal if you look in advance. Yeah, it's too bad there aren't motels or housing right next to the park.

Jason, you really need a car out there. You can find economy car rentals for 12-13 plus tax/insu. per day, and it's well worth it. I've been once before and and I'm going next fri-wed. We stay in Austin with friends and drive to TSR every day, then come back and go out in Austin. Prob. one of the best places I've ever been, tons of stuff to do and they close off the streets on fri,sat nights and it goes off. I just wish we woulda planed it this weekend because the GRIND is going on. oh yeah I'll be staying near lake Austin so if I could ride with someone on mon, tues, wed let me know, otherwise i'll be at tsr every day.

Yep a car is a must.

Awesome info guys. Thanks a bunch. I'll definitely be renting a car then. Have fun out there next week Brodie. I'm gonna be ancy for the next 3 months just waiting to head out.

(Message edited by norcalbordr on April 04, 2008)

i dont think you understand how things work in texas. texas is BIG. everything is far from everything. the farthest walking you do is from a parking lot into a store. on a drive from austin to San diego, the midway point is still in texas. rent a car

So who's riding lake Austin or anywhere in that area one week from today? I'm looking for a ride either mon 14th or tues 15th.

Maybe one of you that live near TSR can answer this? We were on a road trip in texas between Worlds in Fort Worth and The finale of the Slide Show in Houston. We made a point of driving out to experience TSR and stayed at a hotel right there on that strip. What we found in that area was like a plague of flippin crickets! Crickets were EVERYWHERE. I am not kidding, MILLIONS of crickets! It was not too pleasurable but makes for a good story today. so anyway, is that something that happens on a yearly basis?? Craazy!!
Oh yea, We loved TSR, it was a real nice set up and the people there were awesome, but I will make it a point to NEVER go during Cricket season!!

You probably caught us during that freak one time every 50 years thing. It was wild. That same season we had 1000s of butterflies everywhere. I had butterfly guts on my car for months.

I remember that. It was like the attack of the crickets. Everywhere smelled like a bait shop. I don't think that's an annual thing. I've been here for 6 years and that was the first time I've seen that many crickets.

It was due to the insane amounts of rain that we got last summer. They breed the best when the ground is damp and the ground was soaked for like 3 or 4 months here last summer.